Front-wheel brake



Jan. 18,1927. 1,614,742

J. A. HEYSER FRONT WHEEL BRAKE Filed Oct. 12. 1923 Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. HEYSER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO 'VICTOR A. MACHRIS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FRONT-WHEEL BRAKE.

Application led October 12, 1923. Serial No. 668,053.

Although my present invention is referred to as a front wheel brake, it is an object of this invention to provide a brake mechanism especially suitable for use upon ground wheels which may be used in steering, such as the front wheels of an automobile of a usual construction, provided the same are associated with spindle elements, or their equivalents, expanded or built up suiiiciently to provide for a brake drum, or the like, secured to said wheel.

It is an object of this invention to providea simple and effective brake construction capable of use upon either front wheels or rear wheels but adapted to be operated by means of either a flexible or inflexible means extending directly or indirectly toward the center line of a vehicle frame; and, in a preferred embodiment of my invention, I may employ a brake band provided with substantially parallel projections or ears adapted to cooperate, as by means of apertures extending therethrough, with a threaded element capable of rotating in said apertures, this threaded element being providedA with anchoring means which may extend to a dust plate or spindle plate and with actuating` means which may comprise an arm secured by said anchor means and capable of movement in a direction substantially at right angles to the plane of a ground wheel to which my novel brake maybe applied.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, and from the appended claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical or elevational view, with parts broken away, showing, as from the inner side of a wheel,l a preferred form of my front wheel brake.

Fig. 2 is a partial, vertical section on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 isa partial, verticalsection on line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial section on the diagonal line i- 4 of vFigure 1.

Referring to the details of that specific embodiment of `my invention' which I have chosen for purposes of illustration, it may be understood that my novel brake is especially adapted for use `on wheels, such as the front wheels of an automobile, provided with steering means; and 1, (Figure 2) may be regarded as the spoke of a Wheel, to the inside of which is secured a brake drum 2, rivets or bolts 3 being conventionally employed to secure the latter in such manner as to compel its rotation with a yfront wheel, and 4 may be either an expanded plate integral with a spindle casting, or a dust plate, shown in Figure 1 as surrounding a spindle 5 and as providing points of support or anchorage for a brake of my preferred construction, this brake bein shown as comprising an external brake ban 6 having a lining 7, of asbestos or any preferred composition, and secured to or integral with the projections or brake ears 8, 8 extendingv in substantially parallel planes and preferably upward, and shown as provided with apertures 9, through which may extend a shaft 10, provided with means such as the external threads 11, 11', adapted to produce a relative movement between the respective upstanding ears 8, 8', as by engagement with the adjustable bearing blocks 12, 12, which may be provided with internal threads adapted to engage the external threads 11, 11 and also with an external thread as at 13. The nuts 12, 12 extend through the upstanding ears 8, 8 which are fastened to the ends of the brake band 6 as by rivets 15. On the outer faces of the ears 8, 8 there are formed hexagonal recesses or recesses which will snugly receive the outer ends of the nuts so as to hold them against rotation. The inner ends of the nuts are threaded and lock nuts 14, 14 are threaded thereon and are tightened against the inner faces of the ears. This construction provides for adjustment. On loosening the lock nuts 14, 14 the ears 8, 8 can be moved toward each other, so that the hexagonal ends of the nuts 12, 12 will no longer be within the recesses. These nuts can then be screwed either toward or away from the lever 19 on the shaft 10. When in the desired position the ears 8, 8 can be allowed to spring back so that the hexagonal ends of the nuts 12, 12 wlll again fit within the recesses. The lock nuts 14, 14 canV then be tightened to hold the hexagonal ends of the nuts within the recesses and thus prevent the nuts 12, 12 from rotating. It will be readily appreciated that this construction permits tightening or loosening of the brake band about the drum, and as the nuts 12,12 it'somewhat loosely within the ears 8, 8', they can move Sutliciently to prevent any binding actionv upon the threads l 111,l 111 on tightening the band about f the brake drum.

In order to employ the shaft 10 to contract on expand an.l external band, brake of the character referred. to, my inventionv requires that at least one end of the same Vshall be provided with threaded meansfor varying the distance between the respective ends of the brake band 6; and, inV order to produce a rapid and reliable braking effect, l:y consider it advantageous to give thementionedr shaft tlie'character of a turn-buckle, by providing the opposite ends thereof respectively with right and` left threads, teinal threads being` preferred, adapted to cooperate with similar threads Within or upon the respective brake band ears 8, 8', any preferred anchoring and rotating means being operatively associated with the turnbuckleor operating shaft 10.

l-n order to retain a brake band oflthe character. herein referred to in its intended relationship to a brake drum, and inA order to provide bearings for the shaft 10, or its equivalent, l may provide means'comprising ananchor plate 16, shown as secured by rivets 17i`to the dust plate or spindle plate 2,

this anchoring'mcans being provided with apair ofA bearing ears 18, 18, aperturedr to permit of afree rotation ofthe mentioned shaft therein and suitably spaced apart to receive and: retain a brake arm or lever 19, shown as rigidly secured to the shaft 10 by means ofI a pin20, and asthereby constituting any actnatingmeans for my novel brake, this arm or lever 19 beingoptionally providedwith a ball'head 21, which may constitute a part of a universal joint by which operating means, such as a rod or'lever or tension element 22, may-be movably secured thereto, as by means of a plate 23 shown as Y' Vsecured by bolts 211, the construction herein *dust orspindle plate 2.

referred to being such that a pull upon the ltension element or rod 22, moving the upper end of the armor lever 19'towardthe center line of' a motor vehicle, or the like, and thereby rotating the shaft 10, shall produce a corresponding diminution of the distance between the brake bandi ears 8, 8', thereby applying the-brake band 6 effectively to the brake drum. fr return of the parts to their normal or non-braking position may be efectedeither by an opposite movement imparted to the brake arm 19`by the means referred to, orvby means off a- U-shaped springf25, shown in Fig. 1, having itsends coiled; about shaft 1() and engaging the arm 191tending-to move thesame intobrake releasing position, or byy a spring251, shown in Fig.- 2, coiledl about the shaft 10- and enga-ging"respectively the arm 19 and the This movement of release is; optionally assisted' by meansA such as band; retra'ctorsl of any known or preferred design, the retraetorlsho'wn at. R in Figure 1i consisting essentiallyof a plate 26, secured tothe dust orspindle plate 2, constituting a stop for the compression spring 27, shown as surrounding a pinfr28, `extending. through. anopening 29 in said stop and engaged' to produce ay braking effect, one

suitable construction for this purpose comprising a torqueplate 31, shown as secured to the dust or spindlel plate 2, this torque plate being provided with atongue 32, shown as extending through aslotted positioning element 38, secured tothe brake bandv 6,' and`as providedlivith a pin or radial extension 33FL extending through a suitable aperture in saidslotted plateand surrounded-by a' tension spring- 311; Whose outer end may extend through and'be retained by an aperture 35,'sh`own as adjacent a head 3601i the outer end of said pin.; the construction here referred to being such that the band 6 is retainedv against any extensive longitudinal: movement by the engagement of the slot 37 with the tongue 32, and such that the said bandL is normally drawn outward, when released, by theY actionA 0f the spring 34, it beingv obvious that' anyeqnivalent construction might be substituted for that just described and obvious, also, that bandretracti'ng devices and torque-resisting devices may be employedfin any desirednumbers and in any suitable positions, in connection with the operating and relatively movable elements oft my novel brake.

Although the' arm or lever 19 mayv be positively moved in either direction by any suitable means, such f as af usual longitudinal brake rodf connected by, for example, Y a bell crank lever connected with a usual emer gency brake leverv and with ay transversely moving rody 22, it will be obviousthat l might alternatively employ, promptly and effectively` to apply my brake, any known or preferred alternative operating means such asa compressedair device orfother-preferred means for thegeneratioir or application of power. Y

Although l have herein described but one complete embodimentiof my invention, it will, be Aunderstood that various features thereof might' be independent-ly employed,

Aand also that various:modificatiensanight be n: SA

is indicated above and in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A brake construction comprising a brake drum adapted to be secured to a wheel, a supporting plate adapted to be secured to a rigid element, a brake band, ears extending from the ends of the brake band, a shaft mounted through the ears with right and left threads, an anchor plate secured to the supporting plate and having a pair of bearing ears in which the center of the shaft is mounted, the bearing ears being between the brake band ear-s, a brake arm mounted upon the shaft between the bearing ears and fixed to the shaft, and a spring coiled about the shaft and engaging the brake arm and the supporting plate to operate the brake arm one way.

2. A brake construction comprising a brake drum, a brake band disposed about said drum, means for preventing rotation of said band with said drum, nuts adjustably mounted upon the ends of the band, a shaft having right and left threads connecting said nuts, and a brake arm rigidly secured to the shaft between said nuts.

3. A brake construction comprising a brake drum, a band disposed about said drum, means for preventing rotation of said band with said drum, ears upon the ends of the band, a shaft having right and left hand threads extending through the ears, nuts threaded onto the shaft and extending through the ears, lock nuts threaded onto the nuts, means for preventing rotation of the nuts when theV lock nuts are tightened against the ears, and means for rotating said shaft.

4. A brake construction comprising a brake drum, a brake band disposed about said drum, means for preventing rotation of said band with said drum, ears upon the ends of the band, there being recesses formed on the outer faces of the ears, nuts extending through the ears having portions fitting within the recesses to hold them against rotation, a shaft having right and left hand threads extending through the nuts, lock nuts threaded onto the inner ends of the nuts adapted to be tightened against the inner faces of the ears, and means for rotating said shaft.

5. A brake construction comprising a brake drum, a band disposed about said drum, means for preventing rotation of said band with said drum, a rotatable shaft having one end connected to one end of the band, an ear on the other end of the band through which the shaft extends, a nut extending through the ear and threaded onto the shaft, there'being a recess formed on the ear adapted to receive a portion of the nut to hold it against rotation, a lock nut threaded onto the nut adapted to be tightened against the ear to maintain the mentioned portion of the nut within the recess, and means for rotating said shaft to tighten or loosen the band about the drum.V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN A. HEYSER. 

